Bulldogs No. 1 in New England

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The No. 18/19 Yale men's lacrosse team has been picked by the coaches as the top team in New England. Yale and Massachusetts each earned five first place votes in the New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Preseason Coaches' Poll, but the Bulldogs claimed the top spot based on total points.

The Elis, who finished number one in the region and 10-4 overall, shared the Ivy League title in 2010.

Yale, which opens at St. John's on February 26, returns junior Matt Gibson (Point Lookout, N.Y.), who was the 2010 New England Player of the Year and was selected today as the pre-season player of the year. Gibson led the team in scoring with 44 points on 26 goals.

Gibson is one of three Bulldogs on the NEILA Pre-season Team. Classmate Gregory Mahony (Mercer Island, Wash.) and sophomore Michael McCormack (West Islip, N.Y.) were also chosen. At midfield, Mahony totaled 21 goals last season, while on defense McCormack collected a team-best 50 groundballs.